Page 31 of The Stygian Crown
“Vakarian driving a woman to drink? Never.”
Kara grinned. “So, how does this spell tracing work?”
Serena nodded at an arcane circle chalked onto the stone floor. “Stand in the middle. Face the window so your shadow stretches behind you.”
Kara moved to the point. Serena stood in front of her and traced her fingers across Kara’s forehead in the shape of a rune. A strange energy began buzzing across Kara’s skin, like a million butterflies flapping their wings.
“Are the runes used in blood magic the same as the ones you use?”
“Some of them. But for blood magic, the catalyst is the power in your blood. Mages like me draw their power from the earth and environment.” Serena floated her hands down Kara's body, holding them a few inches away from her skin. Warm yellow energy lit the gaps between her fingertips.
Kara sighed in contentment. Serena’s magic tended to have a relaxing effect on her.
“Have you gone to Salizar, then?”
“Yes. He hasn’t shown me anything yet, though.”
Serena’s magic hummed, and Kara's shadow began to split. A second shadow stepped away from it. It was only a silhouette, its shape jagged at the edges. Someone thin, and the silhouette’s shape suggested they were wearing a dress. The silhouette shrank away to nothing. Serena cursed.
Kara frowned. "A woman?"
“The energy signature is feminine, but I couldn’t tell much beyond that. It’s faint. You should have come to me last night.”
Kara grimaced. “I've had a lot going on.”
Serena threw up her hands. “More important than someone trying to murder you?”
Well, when she put it like that…“Should I worry about my shadow trying to attack me in my sleep?”
Serena shook her head. “The spell’s negated for now. They'd have to cast it again, for which they'd need another piece of you.”
“Can Merry be trusted? I never thought my hairbrush could be used against me.” She'd have to start burning the hair regularly, but it'd be impossible to find it all, as much as she shed.
“This is Lerathil. No one can be trusted. But something like a hair or nail, already dead, would provide a weak connection. How strong was this shadow?”
“Very. It felt like I was fighting a copy of myself.”
“Then it's more likely they fueled it with blood, saliva, something like that.”
Kara really needed to pay Salizar a visit. She bit her lip. “Someone must know my identity.”
Serena nodded. “We’ll keep you undercover for now, but stay wary. It’s likely they’ll try again.”
* * *
Kara poundedon Salizar’s door, her nose curling at the acrid stench that crept beneath it.
He swung it open, expression tight, relaxing a little when he saw her. “Lady Grey? You knock like a soldier.”
“My urgency is only exceeded by my concern.”
“I’m glad you’re here, actually. I have some rather unfortunate news—”
Kara crossed her arms and arched a brow at him. “Yes?”
“Your blood went missing from my workshop. Have you any enemies, my lady? I fear someone may be trying to do you harm.”
“Show me.”
